Black & White Is Always In Season…..And Plentiful At Your Local Thrift Store

I’ve seen lots of fashion magazines this past month showcasing black and white as a hot spring look but seriously, black and white is always in season and always fashionable. Anyone can wear these colors, they look good at any age and you probably already have pieces in your wardrobe that you can easily add to.

I popped in to the Discover Goodwill store on Circle the other day just to see if I could find any cute pieces. I only had about thirty minutes and let me tell you, I could have spent hours looking at all the black and white items I saw. Whether you’re looking for dresses, pants, skirts or tops they had tons to choose from. Solids, prints, stripes, polka dots? They had lots of varieties to choose from too.

Taking no more than my allotted thirty minutes, I loaded up the cart in no time with some fashionable finds. I mixed up the sizes to show that no matter what your body type, there’s something that would look great on you and you won’t do much damage to your bank account. I purposely didn’t add a lot of accessories so that the clothes would be the focus. Before you shop, check out what you already have in your closet. You can change-up a pair of conservative black trousers with a breezy blouse or wear that super busy black and white floral tank with a basic black pant and jacket to make it work appropriate. And it’s easy to add whatever pop of color you might want with a sweater, shoes, purse or jewelry.

Everything was bought/borrowed from the Goodwill Circle location. Most of these items are (until someone snags them up) at this location now (unless they were in my size and are now in my closet!)

I was really hoping this dress had been washed and dried incorrectly so it would have shrunk to my size! This Ann Taylor Loft dress is adorable! It has a retro look and feel that would look great with some cute sandals or dress it up with some killer heels. The dress, size medium, is $7.99 and the necklace was $2.99. This style will look great on most shapes and it’s one of those pieces you can wear year-round. (Tights and a sweater for winter.)

This skirt is another versatile piece that you could wear with so many different tops for whatever occasion you’re going to. A white off the shoulder top or silk tank would look cute or add a structured jacket for a more business look. The pearl necklace was $3.99, the belt 99 cents, the Limited top $3.99 and the skirt (Sunny Leigh size large) is $3.99. The entire look cost $12.96 and all of these pieces can be easily worn with other pieces in your closet.

I was watching a fashion show on TV and they took an elastic waist skirt and pulled it up for a cute summer dress/cover-up. I remembered doing that with a skirt I once had so I thought let’s see how this one works. Totally cute! The hat was $2.99 and the belt I wrapped around the hat is mine that came with a dress I no longer have, but I use it (the belt) for lots of different purposes.

Love the touch of lace on the cap-sleeves and the bold geometric print of the skirt, which is balanced out with a solid. This skirt looked and felt like it had never been worn or washed. And again, both pieces can be worn with lots of other items and year round. The skirt is from Old Navy, size 4 for $4.99 and the black Moda International top was $3.99.

Printed pants on everywhere! But if you buy them at a thrift store you’ll end up paying less than half the retail price. These Charter Club pants are in perfect condition, like everything I found, and are very similar to a couple of pairs I recently saw at two different upscale shops costing $78 and $98. These cost$2.79 (size 14). The Joseph A white top was $2.99 and there’s two necklaces I mixed, one was $1.99 and the other one, $2.99.

More versatile pieces you can mix and match for different looks. The color on these Liz Claiborne, (size 2 petite for $2.99) still looks great with no fading. The XXI top is a size medium, costs $2.99 and another item I was wishing would fit me!

Don’t try looking for these particular pieces because they are all in my closet now! But there were at least 50 pairs of white jeans and pants in different sizes, along with tons of black and white tanks, in tons of different patterns and solids. Old Navy jeans $4.99, J Crew black tank $1.99 and the OP black and white tank was $2.99.

I didn’t iron or steam these pieces because, quite frankly, I’d rather clean toilets than iron and most of these items were going right back to Goodwill, so I was lazy. And dressing and undressing these mannequins actually take a long time, and is like wrestling with a two-year old getting dressed. This Signature by Larry Levine blouse obviously will look much smarter when pressed (size small for $3.99). Love these Max Studio skinny pants that are now hanging in my closet ($5.99 size XS) and will be worn with tons of other items year round. The necklace was priced at $3.99.

Polka dots are fun and always classic in black and white. If you already own a pair of great pants, check out all the fun tops you can find, mostly under $5, to add to your wardrobe. This top didn’t have a label in it but it’s a size XL and costs $2.99.

Another fun top…Geoffrey Beene size small for $2.99.

One of my favorite finds…The skirt was $3.99 (no label but XS) and this flowy Susan Lawrence top is $3.99 size medium. Less than $10 for this outfit!

I was excited to find  both of these pieces that fit me! The White House Black Market jacket will also look cute with my white jeans, all my black pants, black skirts and basic jeans. This jacket was priced at $5.99 and if you’ve shopped at White House Black Market, you know it probably originally sold for at least $75, but probably more. The dress is H & M and was priced at $7.99.

Twelve stylish looks, most under $10 for a complete outfit. And if you don’t like to shop thrift, you can certainly find lots of black and white clothing at all your favorite retail stores. I favor shopping at Goodwill because I have 6 stores all within a short distance and I like the prices, staff, and selections. But there are lots of other fabulous nonprofit stores you can shop at and support. Don’t forget to check out consignment stores too!

You know, we often have people ask us to help them with shopping, not asking us to pick up the tab but just to help them find something that looks good on them. I wish I had time to go shopping every single day and the funds to pay for a makeover every week. But if someone (local) would like to go on a shopping trip to specifically find a black and white outfit at a Discover Goodwill store and you just want some help finding what looks good on you, we’d love to join you and take pictures of what you find for a future post. Leave a comment if you’re interested.